The case in which two elderly men at Effia in Takoradi, took turns to defile a five-year-old kindergarten girl in December, last year, has finally ended, with the second accused, Kofi Essoun, sentenced to 15 years imprison-ment in hard labour.

Essoun, a 60-year-old farmer, pleaded not guilty to a charge of defilement, and for seven months, the case had been pending before the Takoradi Circuit Court, presided over by Ms. Rita Duko.

Before passing sentence, the court asked Essoun if he had anything to say, to which he pleaded for mercy, but Miss. Duku declined the plea with the reason that the victim was a minor and that, the convict did not show any mercy.

The judge also stated that, the victim could even be his granddaughter, and therefore, slapped Essoun with the 15-year jail term.

The court further ruled that, the convict should pay GH¢2,000 as compensation for the medical expenses incurred and for the upkeep of the victim.

Earlier, on March 3, this year, the same court jailed Nana Ahenkofi, a 70 -year unemployed to 10 years after he pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement.

The two, after defiling the girl, warned her not to tell anyone her ordeal else, she would die.

According to the prosecution, it was Essoun, who first defiled the girl after which Ahenkofi took over, by placing the girl on his lap and abusing her sexually, resulting in profused bleeding from her private part and anus.

A report was later made to the police and after investigations the two convicts were arrested.

Giving the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Veronica Tipson told the court that, in December last year, the mother of the girl, (name withheld), saw blood stains in the pants of her daughter and when she questioned her, she said nothing had happened, and therefore, did not take it serious.

On February 9, while the victim was at Tarkwa Nsuaem, she visited the toilet and kept long in coming out.

A female teacher, who was worried about her long stay in the toilet, went to see what was happening, only to find the girl in serious pains, with her pants soaked in blood.

Following a thorough examination, Chief Inspector Tipson said that, the teacher saw blood oozing from her private parts and anus and, therefore, rushed her home.

She was rushed to the Kwesi-mintsim Hospital, where doctors, after examination, confirmed that she had been defiled, adding that the case was reported to the Central Police Station, where the victim mentioned the names of Essoun and Ahenkofi.

She told the court that, Essoun stayed with the victim in the same house at Effia, whilst Ahenkofi, lived nearby.